I'm here to promote some of my favorite female artists of this year. They are fantastic and going places with their music. They all have very creative lyrics, meaning to their messages, a unique sound, and their music videos are wonderfully aesthetic. I'll name each one and then tell a little bit about why they're awesome.
Katie Melua http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E4-9yKTv_I&ob=av2e
Blues/Jazz/Folk Pop
Her voice is very calming, sultry, acoustic, and a little jazzy. The messages in her songs have meaning, and are more than just typical love songs.
The video clip I posted the link to is called The Flood. This song is about trials in life; they happen. In a great many cases, no-one is to blame, you just have to let the flood wash over you and move on. It has an exotic sound and changes tempos halfway through the song. It is very moving.
Janelle Monáe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s9iZFwUnqI&feature=artist
R&B/Soul/Funk/Motown
Her voice is clear, fun, and full of funky soul. She dances like Michael Jackson and has a very androgynous fashion. What I find most amazing thing about her music is in her production and story line of her albums. Listening to the album Metropolis, I was amazed at this sci-fi opera style of story telling. In order to have the best experience, you have to listen to the songs in order from beginning to end. I recommend listening to her album, available at http://www.jmonae.com/album
The Bird and the Bee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMy6X5cQul8
Indie/Synthpop/Alternative
Her voice is vintage and breathy. Her music is very vintage 60's and the production makes it have an all over quirky psychedelic sound. Fun fact, the man in all of the music videos is Greg Kurstin. He's a producer and keyboardist who has worked with Lily Allen (another great female artist,) Beck, Barenaked Ladies, The Flaming Lips, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. This dynamic duo makes a great sound. The lyrics are usually quite simple, but very interesting in describing life through different ways. Again and Again, the music video I posted, is about life's repetitions and how we as humans crave them and hate them at the same time. Very interesting.
Electro Pop/Synth Pop
Her voice is powerful, electronic sounding and very much like a computerized version of Madonna. Also very androgynous in her fashions, she is certainly something to behold in her videos between her masculine fashions and wild make-up. Like The Bird and The Bee, La Roux is a duo of a group as she co-writes and co-produces with Ben Langmaid. This video, Bulletproof, is an exciting and empowering song about getting over a relationship. The shapes and visuals in this are quite amazing and very computerized. La Roux's music is fun, electrifying, and reminds me of my video game days in the 90's, growing up by having to blow the dust out of the game cartridges to get them to work.
These next 2 artists are local and well on their way to making their name in the music world. I love both of their sound and their ideas are very interesting a fun.
Stephanie Maybe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ALs-Mf5CE
Indie/Acoustic/Folk
Her voice is acoustic, folksy, and the way she phrases and emphasizes words is pleasantly unique. The majority of the music I've seen from her has been live, and it has been wonderful. She has a great stage presence and interacts well with the audience. The music she tends to write are witty and have a fun twist or an untypical story. For instance, the music video I posted above is about a comic book artist who works in an Office Max. Some other awesome songs of hers talk about Zombies and romance, and being the villain instead of the princess. She also plays an Omnichord. Her album, Wake Up Dreaming, is soon to come out about November-December.
Jenessa Buttars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH86xIE4YR8&feature=related
Indie/Acoustic/Folk
Her voice is also acoustic, folksy, and very pleasant. Her sound has influences of Regina Spektor and Florence and the Machine. She plays the harp to accompany herself on some of her songs. She's even done a few covers on the harp of popular songs ( there's a cover on Youtube of Snow Patrol.) The lyrics to her songs are witty and clever. One I've heard her sing is called Dark Spotlight. She wrote it for a songwriting class and I absolutely loved it. I'm not aware of any albums yet, but she has done some music for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm excited to see where she goes with her music and her harp accompanying.
These are all female artists that I absolutely would promote and share with the world. I love their stuff and I have a feeling that they will be around for a while, doing the music they love.
